Kerry Washington’s Afro Is Giving Me Endless Hair Inspiration

Kerry Washington is letting her curls out to play. On Feb 3, the actor posted an interview with one of the subjects of the documentary Daughters, which is now airing on Netflix. As Washington praises Aubrey, one of the young girls featured in the film, for her bravery in sharing her story, I couldn’t help but notice two things: Aubrey’s hair was in adorable Fulani braids, and Washington’s was in a rarely-seen afro.

Clad in a maroon pantsuit and a blue turtleneck, Washington wore a complementary cherry mocha manicure and soft, skin-like makeup. She wore her coils out and unencumbered, allowing them to perfectly frame her face thanks to what appeared to be curly bangs. She kept her natural deep-brown hair color intact and opted out of any additional accessories.

Washington has never been afraid to switch up her hairstyles and has been seen in everything from gorgeous beachy waves to an octopus cut (much like the one recently seen on Billie Eilish,)—she was even wearing Fulani braids prior to this latest look.

I'm in New York City, so while the frigid air isn’t typically conducive to me letting my own afro out to play, and if you wear your hair natural year-round, you know how intensive that care routine has to be to make sure your strands remain soft and pliable. If Kerry has made you want to throw caution to the wind and let your afro run free, I’ve gone ahead and curated some products that will keep your hair and scalp healthy during the last few weeks of winter.